Christ Crowned with Thorns
Gerard van Honthorst
c. 1622
Before Christ’s trial, Roman soldiers placed a plaited crown of thorns on his head, dressed him in a cloak and mocked him. After all, was he not the ‘King of the Jews’? The scene is dramatically illuminated by a torch, held by the boy at the left. Honthorst probably made this painting for a clandestine Catholic church (schuilkerk) in Amsterdam.
Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam · Image: Rijksmuseum, Public domain · Text: Rijksmuseum, CC0